The lifestyle, hobbies, and fun thread.

[mikecarlooch]

I'll go 2nd.

Been training brazilian jiu-jitsu for 2 years now, and I've got to say it's one of the best investments I've EVER made. Period.

If you're someone who struggles with making connections (building a network) or friends because you just don't have many people around you, I encourage you to join a BJJ school.

A lot of the people I train with have not just become lifelong friends, but a lot of them are also doing really cool stuff. A lot of people in this sport seem to be weirdly in love with entrepreneurship.

Specifically, I'd recommend joining a school that has franchises. The most popular one is Renzo Gracie schools which are all over the place.

If you sign up for a Renzo Gracie school, you also get free access to other renzo gracie schools while travelling.

You also get this "unity" effect when you train at a school like Renzo Gracie, where if you visit one that isn't your main spot, you'll get treated as family.

Personally, I've trained jiu-jitsu in different states and all around my state in different towns, and I've probably made 150-200 REAL friends thus far, which is so insanely cool.

The coolest thing about jiu jitsu is that when it's man vs man, and you battle it out with someone, the amount of respect you have for each other is unmatched.

Think about how much respect you'll have gained and given to others after training with 1,000 partners.

One of the greatest sports ever!

PS: if you want to read a great book on BJJ, check out "Breathe" by Rickson Gracie

 

[Kak]

In November, for the first time in my life, I started running. I struggled to complete a single mile without walking. I literally started from nothing.

Yesterday, I completed The Woodlands Half-Marathon. It was slow, and I had a bad day, but it's done.

More important was the process of running hundreds of miles in training, which was the real life change that I intend to continue. I also had a great coach, my brother, who basically hung out with me for 13.1 miles yesterday without breaking a sweat.

Looking forward to either a full marathon next year, or a lot faster and easier half.

If I can do this, you can.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Life is more than work, work, and work.

This is your opportunity to share with the forum your life outside of business.

For example, if you're hiking up a mountain, share your pics.

Traveling for a few days? Share!

Getting married? Share a photo.

If you're entering a boxing competition, let us know.

If you're at a business conference, post pictures.

New personal bench press record? Post a video.

Proud of your new car? Let us know.

If you're on a fishing boat and drinking a margarita, drop us a pic.

I love seeing and hearing what others are doing around the world.

This also allows the community to get to know people better, including their locations, hobbies, and life outside of "Fastlane"

The more detail the better!

 

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[Andy Black]

Saturday morning here in Ireland. We got up at 7am and drove the hour to Bray Head just outside Dublin. Nothing too strenuous walking up it and the blue skies made for a great view of Dublin.

Going round to my brother-in-law's with a few beers to watch the FA Cup Final in a couple of hours. It's Man U vs Man City and there should be a few Man U fans to make it interesting. My brother-in-law is a Liverpool fan, and I follow Newcastle (who did great this year). I can't believe I'm saying this, but we'll likely support Man U, rather than see City doing the treble.


Hi from the Black family:

 

[Fox]

I just bought a early 1970's Porsche Targa 2.7S this week.

I won't see it till I am back in Ireland at the end of the summer - but my dad has been enjoying it so far ha.

It looks very similar to this... (I will post actual photos when I get home to drive it)



A few things behind buying this:
- got a great deal, it is like 20k euros under priced (great time to buy right now)
- gives me a good reason to get home more and enjoy driving around Ireland
- also gives my dad a fun toy to play with haha, he likes cars and I know he will sneak in some drives

I actually wanted to start a little thread on holding and then flipping cars without losing money - it seems a few people on the forum have done this really well over the years. It would be cool to try build up the skill and do it with some proper supercars in a while.

 

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[Spenny]

Some of the best fun I had was backpacking through Europe with a best mate. Plan was to fly from UK to Istanbul, then snake out way all the way back.

We ended up doing 4000km, being friends (and travelling) with 30 people & went through 12 different countries in 30 days. The best places I found were Prague, Budapest & Istanbul, but everywhere was amazing.

Best thing is I now have an endless supply of stories to tell, it never gets boring!



Here's some of my favorites

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Just took a random drive in my UTV around the neighborhood. Stopped to smell the surroundings and took everything in.

Every so often, if you don't find yourself making the statement "I can't believe I live here" you need to move.

Life is short.

Go somewhere that inspires your soul.

 

[YanC]

So I'm just back from a trip in the USA... What a blast ! Everything feels so huge. So many beautiful places to explore. We are used to moutains here but the scale is so much bigger there, and we don't have these amazing desertic landscapes. As soon as you're out of the big cities it feels like the country is empty. Talking about cities, I'm not one to enjoy them but spending a couple nights in Vegas was definitely worth it. What the hell is this place guys ?! America at its finest . I found people to be friendly and chill. You guys have a funny way of randomly talking to each other anywhere, that really doesn't happen in France. Service is generally of higher quality than here, might have to do with the fact that waiters for example have to kind of earn their thing. On the down and sad side, obesity is SO damn bad...
The national parks are definitely very touristy, but as expected being there in late summer / early autumn plus being willing to wake up early and hike a bit made the crowds very much thinner. The only place I really felt trapped in mass tourism has been the Horseshoe bend and Antelope canyon (I hesitated a lot but finally went. I'm glad I dit, it really is something special to witness. I wouldn't do it again though).

Thanks @MJ DeMarco and @SteveO for the advice a couple months ago regarding phone service. The only place where it's been a little bit challenging was the Yellowstone and Yosemite, but even there it wasn't too hard to find a spot with service to make sure everything was running smoothly at home. Tagging @Runum who helped as well and asked for pictures, so here is a very short selection of them.



Can't wait for the next one, I'm looking at you Alaska !

Have a great day everyone.

 

[Sirrom]

This picture I took today represents the Fastlane life to me.

Around 3 years ago I read the millionaire Fastlane and something about the book really hit me. I was into self development books already and I was working a sales job at the time that I really hated. My dreams of becoming an entrepreneur were put to the side in that time because I was blinded by the bonus structure “If only I can get 3 new customers in today, then I will make €600,- or €144k/yr, If I invest that amount in index fun.. ^#*#*# SLAP IN MY FACE.

The MFF gave me the spark again. It then took 1.5 year of mental masturbation and an FTE experience to get really focused.

In the other 1.5 year I set up a business that brought me more income than I could dream of, more potential for further growth, a location independent lifestyle & total freedom in regards of spending budget. (I just don’t really long designer wear and other expensive stuff/experiences people buy).

Together with my girlfriend I traveled around SEA this month while my business continued to operate. I worked maybe 1-3hours everyday, and the sunlight did wonders for our feelings of wellbeing. We decided to move to Portugal after we come back from Asia.

Sometimes I can still be a little bitch that is always complaining, but when I realize how fast everything went I can’t help but say: It wasn’t all that bad. The time of struggle to better your position and get your business off the ground is something that you will cherish after you reach a certain level of succes.

I’m not there yet fully as I basically only had 1 good Fastlane year, but when I look at the skills I acquired last year then I’m fairly confident that I could do it over in less time if I go bankrupt tomorrow.

In the end that’s what this life is about. Developing yourself, striving to become better each day, making money and then doing good things with it.

I’m so unbelievably thankful to @MJ DeMarco for writing your books. And I am maybe even more thankful for the Fastlane community here that motivated me with your progress threads, insightful posts and ‘internet connection’ at times when I felt lonely in my pursuit of Entrepreneurship.

This post got a bit longer than anticipated, but I’m just feeling so goddamn happy right now. All my hard work paid off. And I hope yours will to! Stay strong, grind, laugh & kick a$$ amigo’s!

 

[DustinSaucier]

After 25 some-odd years of not drawing or producing art, I picked up the pencil again back in September. Oddly enough, I’ve sold a few prints since then and am working on some as commissioned pieces. Lol, I didn’t really plan for or expect that to happen.

 

[AmazingLarry]

Awesome thread!

Had a lot going on the past couple weeks.


Celebrated 10 year anniversary in Cape Cod





Adopted a kitten





and built a coffee table





also stoked now that bike park season is here! Hopefully will be able to ride a lot this summer.

 

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[biophase]

To this day, I know that I'll never have another pet. For me it's too much to handle, knowing that the dog will almost certainly die before you, guaranteeing immense pain when it happens.

This is why their are so many senior dogs at the shelters. People do not want to have a dog for 1-3 years because of this. They would rather get a puppy. However, I'd rather get a senior dog and provide it its best life in its remaining years. I can deal with the grief knowing that its had the best years of its life.

I would encourage you to rethink this position. The immense pain eventually becomes happy memories. I know a few people who have the same reasoning as you and have never gotten a dog again.

I've been through this many times and each time I feel it makes me stronger and more aware of life and time. Also, it made me realize that life is not all about me. Part of our time on earth is to make the life of others better. Right now there is a dog out there that is sitting in a shelter that you could be giving a great life to. If the only trade off between your and its joy and happiness for many years is a relatively short period of grieving and pain, you should make that trade 100% of the time.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Happiness is buying a desk online for my library, sight unseen, having it hands off delivered right into the space, having it fit perfectly, and having it color match the cabinetry exactly.

Extra bonus?

One of the guys who delivered it asked me if I just came from the gym. I said no, I haven't worked out in 3 days and he proceeded to flex and shake his head in approval. Must be that protein deficiency I have.

 

[Jon822]

Working toward my goal of 315 bench press. Almost there! Benching 315 lbs is something I've wanted to do since I got into lifting 15 years ago. It took a lot of wasted time until I realized that a shit diet makes everything you do in the gym virtually worthless.

 

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[Antifragile]

the weather this week is awesome for outdoor fun. I ditched my car for office commuting!

Chasing views and good times.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

We have a new puppy and he loves watching television. He recognizes dogs, cats, and intently watches like humans watch a Super Bowl.

 

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[MTF]

Chilling out in a private, secluded villa with a million-dollar Mediterranean view for 2,000 euros per month. Free dogs and cats included.

In moments like these, you realize how grateful you are for the Fastlane and for the freedom it has helped you attain. As always, thank you again @MJ DeMarco for the impact on my life. If it weren't for this forum, I'd probably be stuck in my home country praying for the spring to come back as soon as possible.

 

[Subsonic]

Finally had a concert again last Saturday.
Our new singer blew everyone away with her performance. Lightshow was also amazing. (Last image is me btw)

 

[MitchC]

Just got back from 2 weeks motorbiking Northern Vietnam

Most beautiful scenery I have ever seen and the people there are amazing, nothing like other south East Asian countries where you are hassled and treated like an atm 24/7, the people there are so nice and don’t want anything from you

I learned to ride a motorbike there which probably does not pass the risk/reward test but hey, I’m still alive and I’m pretty damn good at riding now

 

[biophase]

Pickleball in the mountains at 9000ft. Sometimes I forget to just look around and see where I’m at.

 

[MTF]

Currently in Corfu, lowering my blood pressure through freediving, swimming, and chilling out by the water.



One of the coolest things you can do in Greece is renting a motorboat. The city you see in the distance on the other coast is in Albania (Sarandë). At its narrowest point, it's only about 2 km from Corfu in Greece to Albania.



Here's my freediving spot. Much colder water on this side of the island due to underground freshwater springs (21 degrees Celsius vs 25 degrees on the other coast) but easy access to depth. A little bit further out where most of the boats are anchored it's about 20-25 meters of depth.



This is NOT where we're staying but I really like the composition of this picture. Looks like some millionaire's villa but it's actually a pool belonging to a nearby hotel which we passed on the way to the beach.



Taken in a monastery where about 30 nuns live. They welcome visitors with free drinking water and loukoumi. I love the colors in this picture. But it's not hard to take a good picture in the Mediterranean in the summer considering the great light and blue skies.

I'm soon leaving for Kalamata (deemed one of the best places in the world for freediving; we'll see if that's the case) where I plan to train freediving hardcore for 4 weeks to level up as much as I can.

 

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[lankyape]

Won my first muay thai fight a little while ago! I've been training for just over a year now, loving every minute of it. I highly recommend getting into any martial art (even if you don't want to compete), it has done wonders for my physical and mental health!

 

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[Timmy C]

Got Promoted at BJJ, such a tough day. My coach makes you earn it that's for sure.
I was in the middle of the mat for 2 1/2 hours with no break at all, and one fresh opponent after another being sent after me lol.

 

[biophase]

Honestly what I thought too

Big difference is the attitude of the poster.

Instead of using fun/hobbies to "escape" your "real" life...

It's here to compliment/augment a really good baseline life.

My leisure activity for the day.

View attachment IMG_1971.mov

 

[Runum]

Installed a left foot gas pedal in the truck. Renewing my license in a couple of weeks.

 

[Spenny]

I forgot to post this at New Year's, but a village near me does a wacky tradition that I'm pretty sure is over 300 years old.

About forty men dress up in various outfits (some passed down through generations), carrying flaming barrels above their heads. They then march alongside a band around the village, finally throwing the half-cut barrels into a bonfire in the centre of the town.

It's supposedly meant to warn off evil spirits and mark the old into the new.

Did I mention I play in the band?

Edit: Privacy

 

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[BellaPippin]

I just painted some lillies for my mom, since I’ll be visiting Buenos Aires during June… just realized the canvas doesn’t fit the suitcase LOL. #fml

 

[mikecarlooch]

Mike, I completely understand what you mean about family. I completed a three-day trial the other week and I think I found my BJJ home. Everyone is like family, treats you well even if you're new, and everyone is so humble and willing to learn/teach. There hasn't been anyone that I was afraid/avoid to drill with yet.

Completed that three-day trial the other week and just today I finally signed up! I would've done it last week but was grieving.

Decided that this was the place I wanted to call my home and signed up today and I also got my gi today! Cheers to starting my journey!

For anyone anxious about entering a BJJ gym, just know that the hardest part is actually entering the gym. The unknown is intimidating... But I now know so many more nice people. I encourage you to visit the gym you're wondering about, I'm sure there will be many who are willing to help you and be your friend.
View attachment 49182

Many think the hardest belt to get is black.. That's wrong..

It's white. Because most people never get started.

a black belt is a white belt who never quit.

Congrats man!

 

[WillHurtDontCare]

kayaking at silver springs state park, FL

 

[Matt Sun]

I got to rent an apartment that is like 70 meters from the beach entrance in Geriba Beach, Buzios, Brasil. This feels like it has been one of the best months of my life. Every day I woke up and first thing before screens was getting a 4km beach walk, some times with a poetry book in my kindle, learning german from early in the day. That walk just got me in the good mood for the rest of the day.
I also took several surfing lessons, I feel hooked to this sport. It was pretty amazing experience.

Photo of a sunset, of which I saw many but perhaps this was the most beautiful.

 

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